Party Up
by RakeTheSky
Summary: What happens the night Cole and Phoebe get into a huge fight? Rated PG-13 for a bit of frisky behavior. Mainly a ColePhoebe, though the rest of the family is involved. Enjoy! [Complete]
1. Chapter One

**Party Up**

**A/N**: A Cole and Phoebe adventure! Set in season four, maybe a few days after Cole lost his powers. Phoebe has not consented to his marriage proposal yet. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: As you would probably guess, I do not own any characters of Charmed nor any part of the TV show. If I did, I certainly would not be writing fan fiction because I would make sure it appeared in the script. ï So, to ease those corporate minds out there, there is no benefit for me except for that warm and fuzzy feeling of venting creatively.

**Chapter One**

Piper hummed contentedly to herself as she prepared an early dinner. She and Leo had finally gotten some time alone, with Paige out at an art class until five minutes ago, and Phoebe and Cole off somewhere by themselves. It was nice, she thought lazily. The only demons they've encountered in the past few days only required a flick from her hands. Better yet, they didn't even ruin the furniture when they appeared at the Manor. On the income front, P3 was doing extremely well, and Paige's money now was added to the mix. Even Cole was out finding a job. Piper started to wonder what job he could possibly find when she heard the front door slam. Hard.

She hurried out to see what the commotion was all about. All she saw, however, was her younger sister, whose face was set in a stony expression, and her boyfriend, who had a look of fury to match his girlfriend's. They headed for separate directions.

"Um...Phoebe? Hon?" called Piper as Phoebe headed up the stairs. She didn't respond. Piper watched as she went up, bewildered. What kind of fight did _they_ get into?

She had no time to think about that, though, because she had remembered the dinner that was cooking over the stove. She went back to the kitchen, only to see the hulking figure of Cole rummaging through the refrigerator.

She returned to her place behind the stove. "So, what happened?" Piper asked lightly, as she adjusted the fire.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him close the fridge door—rather forcefully—and turn to glare at her. "Oh, no, everything's fine," he said sarcastically. He opened the pantry.

"Mmhmm," said Piper, a hint of amusement in her voice. When he didn't elaborate, she brought out her time tested method of getting people to talk. "Who started it?"

The question did not fail her. "Of course she started it!" he burst out. "She's always tense lately. She's _hiding_ something." He grabbed a bag of chips and glared back again at Piper. "Do you think she's cheating on me?"

Piper rolled her eyes at her dinner. "Of course she's not cheating on you," she said.

"How can you be so sure, huh? Or are you just covering for her?"

Piper turned around, annoyed. "Cole, listen to yourself. You know she loves you. What are you talking about, anyways?"

Cole glowered and stuffed a fistful of chips in his mouth. "We were having this perfectly good time at the park. I leave for a second, to get a drink, and when I come back, she's talking to this guy, who's obviously hitting on her. I got a bit upset, OK, but can you blame me? And then _she_ blows up..."

"And then _he_ starts on his 'I have to protect you' speeches. From what? This random guy in the park who wants to know how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge?" Phoebe nearly yelled from Paige's room. Paige cringed slightly but looked at her.

"He's jealous," she said. "That's obvious enough."

Phoebe calmed down just the slightest bit. "I know that," she said in a more subdued tone. "And its natural, I guess. But that, on top of him wanting to protect me from _everything_—I mean, I _am_ capable of protecting myself. I know," she continued, sighing as she said Paige open her mouth to speak. "He wants me safe. But I can't live the rest of my life like this. To be married to him...but I feel like, like if I don't consent soon, its gonna be over. Cole's a great looking guy, you know, smart, loving." Her eyes glazed over a bit. "And _so_ good at—"

"OK, we get the picture," said Piper, turning off the stove. "You get jealous, Phoebe gets mad at that, and then you both storm back here."

Cole started to pretest, but soon stopped. "Basically," he mumbled. He ate another handful of chips.

Piper gave him her I'm-always-right look, something usually mainly reserved for Leo. "May I suggest a few things?" she asked without waiting for an answer. She walked up to him and snatched the bag out of his hands. "First, no more eating," she said sternly. "You'll ruin your appetite. Second, ease up on those 'I need to protect Phoebe' lectures. She just got out of college, you know."

Cole stared at her as she put the chips back into the pantry. "You got a lot of nerve, lecturing me about lectures," he growled.

"Well, I'm not the one who got into a fight with my significant other," she replied, giving him a dose of her deadly sweet tone of voice.

Just then, Leo orbed in. "I was listening to you guys," he said. He grinned at Cole. "You don't know how refreshing it is to hear that tone of Piper's directed at someone _else_ for a change."

"Like I was saying," said Piper, silencing Leo with a look, "this is Phoebe. She doesn't like the idea of somebody fending for her all the time."

"Whatever," said Phoebe, exasperated. "I love being with Cole, and I love him, but I still need my independence. To feel it. That's what scares me so much about marriage, I need to—to breathe."

"That's what bachlorette parties are for, huh?" commented Paige, a little dryly. "Or not," she added after seeing the look on Phoebe's face. Paige looked away, and then almost immediately looked back at Phoebe again, almost as if she had an idea.

"What?" snapped Phoebe, nerves still on edge.

"I know this guy who owns this really exclusive club," she said slowly. "I have passes. Actually, my name's the pass. I could take you there."

"Paige, we go to a club all the time."

"Yeah, _a_ club, which our sister owns," Paige countered. "A place where we sit and have drinks. I'm talking about the Fire Den, ever heard of it?"

Phoebe's brows furrowed. "I might've, but I don't know..."

"Come _oooon_," said Paige, coaxing her older sister as much as possible. "Where's the wild Phoebe I keep hearing about, huh?'

"But at five o'clock?"

Paige grinned, knowing she was getting somewhere. "Those kids party 24/7, seriously. I don't know how they do it, actually. I went in one night and returned the next afternoon. Nothing stopped, everyone was wearing the same clothes and everything." Paige paused. "Well, if you want to sit through an uncomfortable dinner..."

"We're leaving!" shouted Paige as she and Phoebe headed downstairs and to the front door.

"Wait, where?" yelled Piper, scurrying after them.

"Out," replied Paige, arching a mysterious eyebrow. She tugged on Phoebe's jacket sleeve. "Let's go," she said.

"Phoebe—" she a new voice. Cole's.

Phoebe looked levelly at him, then turned away. The two younger sisters walked out without another word.

Piper looked over at Cole. "Should I say it now, or should I say it later?"

"Save it," he retorted as he stalked back to the kitchen.

**A/N**: So, how was it? Hope you enjoyed it so far, its my first story up! Please review!!


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N**: So the story continues...thanks for the reviews so far, and thank you Flower3 for the suggestion, I didn't even know I was blocking anyone! Also, for those who care to look at it, my disclaimer is up in Chapter One. Read review enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

"Paige...hey Paige, _Paige!!_" shrieked Phoebe from the passenger seat of the Halliwell SUV.

Paige threw a casual glance her way before turning her attention to the road again. "What?" she asked.

"You just passed that parking spot over there," Phoebe cried, pointing behind them. "Great. Now it's taken."

Paige laughed. "Don't worry about it, sis. I don't need a parking space, they have VIP parking over there."

Phoebe leaned back in her seat. "Oh," she said. She turned to her younger sister. "So, what's this place like, exactly?"

"The Fire Den? You really haven't heard of it, haven't you?" Paige asked, a little disbelievingly.

"Oh come on!" Phoebe said defensively. "My life consists of—" she counted off her fingers "—You, Piper, the Charmed duty, and..." she trailed off.

"Cole," Paige finished for her helpfully.

Phoebe sighed. "Yeah."

"Don't worry about it, Pheebs, we're here so you can live up a little. No mention of Cole today, alright?" Paige looked over at her sister at the red light. Phoebe nodded.

Paige pulled up to a building with huge red double doors and a red carpet running from under them out onto the sidewalk. The sign above the doors read, in big fiery letters, THE FIRE DEN. There was a huge crowd around the doors, despite it still being light outside. Phoebe arched an eyebrow at Paige. Paige shrugged. "I told you—"

A big burly man tapped on the window. Paige scrolled it down. "Excuse me, no—" the man began to say. Then he stopped as he recognized the driver. "Paige!" he exclaimed. "Please excuse me. How are you?"

Paige smiled at the man. "I'm great, thanks for asking, Manuel." She gestured at Phoebe. "This is my older sister, Phoebe. She'll be with me tonight."

The bouncer tipped his bald head in Phoebe's direction. She smiled in return, though a bit bewildered. "So, I'll just let Raul take the car," said Manuel, turning his attention back to Paige.

"Sure thing," Paige replied, stepping out of the car. Phoebe followed suit. Manuel parted the crowd for them, and they went straight into the club. "See you later!" Paige called as Manuel shut the door behind them. And then they were in.

Phoebe looked around as they went further into the club. It was definitely—hardcore. Hard, pumping music reached its way into her ears as she looked at the numerous bar contests all around her. And it was still 5:30, she mused. Phoebe looked over to her left and saw, in the distance, a stage with a bunch of stripper poles, which were at that moment unoccupied. A small smile flitted across her lips at the sight.

She turned her attention to the crowds, which Paige had already lost herself in. Lots of grinding on the dance floor, waitresses on bar tables wearing leotards, not many places to sit (though quite a few VIP rooms), kegger contests, the endless array of red décor...it was the anti-P3.

It was exactly what she needed, Phoebe thought.

_Fifteen minutes later..._

Phoebe sat at one of the quieter bars with her piña colada, swirling her drink with the umbrella. She had been out dancing just a few moments ago before heading to the bar. "To get a drink," as she told Paige. Truth was, she was really in her element, dancing the night away—until a guy came a little too close and pressed a little too hard on her. Then she didn't know what to do.

Not that she didn't like this place, this Fire Den. Phoebe really had to hand it to Paige when it came to her connections, and to her taste. In fact, just a year or so ago this place would have been Phoebe's all time favorite place to go. She sighed into her straw. What _did_ happen to wild old Phoebe? When did she have to be so..._mature_ all the time? Why could Paige dance like there's no tomorrow yet she can't stand the press of a male body that wasn't Cole's?

_I thought there would be no mention of Cole today_, sounded a snide voice in Phoebe's head. Phoebe sighed again and was about to slide back in her chair when she remembered a little too late that bar stools don't have backs.

She suddenly felt a firm hand on her back, steadying her. "Whoa there," said a male voice, though slightly higher pitched than an average man's. "Careful." The man gave her a slightly concerned look, then smiled and slid into the stool next to Phoebe's. "Thought you were tipsy for a second, but you seem sober enough..." he grinned and held out his hand. "I'm Duane. Club manager here at Fire's."

She took it. "I'm Phoebe."

"So, what's up, huh? You don't seem to be enjoying yourself much."

Phoebe shook her head quickly, fully aware she was talking to the manager of the club. "Oh, no, no," she insisted. "I really like the club, actually. The mood. But..."

"Let me guess," Duane cut her off. "Relationship problems. Your man giving you problems?"

Phoebe shrugged, looking away. "Kind of."

"Oh, come on," Duane said, completely good-natured about it. "You can tell me. Not giving away government secrets, are ya?"

Phoebe contemplated her options. It would be so nice to talk to somebody _outside_ of the family, for once, to just pour her heart to a stranger. _A Charmed heart, with Charmed secrets_, something in her cautioned.

"Oh, I don't know...nothing's the matter, really," Phoebe said, immediately appalled at how phony she sounded. "On second thought, I take that back."

Duane grinned and leaned on the bar counter, waiting for her to talk. She did, hesitantly. "Well, the thing about my boyfriend is that he's so overprotective," she began. Duane nodded, encouraging her. She became a bit more emboldened. "I mean, honestly, I can fend for myself. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm weak. C—Conrad, on the other hand, thinks otherwise."

Duane gave her a slightly strange look. "Are you talking about him fending for you physically, or emotionally, in a way?"

Phoebe averted her gaze to the crowd. Of course no ordinary person would protest their boyfriend from protecting them from robbers, or whatever. This was harder than she thought. "Emotionally, of course," she said finally. "Jealousy, I mean." She looked into her glass, which was filled with nothing but dregs. "I can't stand it sometimes. Is it just me? Because independence is so important to me." She let out something between a snort and a grunt. "Not that I've had much choice in _that_ issue." Phoebe thought about her situation. Always needing the Power of Three, her and her sisters were dependent on each other for that. And there was also the factor of not having a job, and just being out of college...

"Ah." Duane looked at Phoebe with an air of benevolence for a few seconds. "How 'bout this. I usually don't offer this to newcomers—its only for the regulars—but I think you may be helped by it." He motioned at the bartender. "Jacob, get me a Fire Brew for this young lady."

"Fire Brew?" she inquired.

"That's right. Specialty of the Den." Jacob placed a shot of in front of Duane. He took out a lighter, and lit the surface. Nothing spectacular happened, except for three wisps of smoke that puffed out of the surface. "It's crucial to the formula," he told her.

Phoebe suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Paige, looking a bit tired out but happy nonetheless. "Hey Phoebe, hey Duane," she greeted them.

Duane looked delighted. "You two know each other?" He got the attention of the bartender again. "Another Fire Brew for Paige," he informed him. "One for me, too."

They clinked shots when they were all ready. "Bottoms up," he cheered.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The three were wrapping up their dinner when Cole and Leo looked at each other at the same time.

"Something's not right," they said in unison.

Piper looked at them both. "What?" she asked.

"Phoebe and Paige," said Leo, getting up from his seat. "Phoebe more than Paige. In fact," he continued, a worried expression on his face. "Phoebe a _lot_ more than Paige."

"Where are they?" asked Piper, rising from her chair as well. Cole had already begun to put on his coat.

"Wait," he replied, trying to sense them. "They're in the city. Not somewhere I've been before though. Look like a—club? Kind of ritzy. Red decorations, fire-like decorations, actually, and lots of people..." Leo got a funny look on his face. "Rubbing up against each other."

"Don't tell me they're in the Fire Den?" Piper exclaimed. "How did they get in _there?!"_

"The Fire Den?" Cole repeated. "Sounds kind of ominous, don't you think?"

"We have to go there," Leo insisted urgently. "I'm worried about Phoebe. She keeps slipping in and out of focus..."

"OK, let's go," said Piper, alarmed. She and Cole reached for Leo's hands as they orbed out.

They were in a dark, spacious room with roving strobe lights and rowdy music, though the raucousness of the music was nothing compared to the people dancing to it. "Where are we?" yelled Cole over the din, looking about warily.

"The Fire Den," Piper yelled back. "Huge on the hardcore club scene."

Leo motioned to his wife, pointing to the whooping crowd to the left of them. "Over there," he said tersely. They pushed pass the throng and tried to see what was going on.

Cole saw it first. "No," he whispered, his eyes glazing over in horror.

Piper and Leo followed his gaze. They saw Phoebe, up on the bartop, her coat and sweater gone, and her white tank top pulled up so a guy could lick whipped cream off her stomach. She was participating in some sort of contest, though it was obvious that she had all of the crowd's approval. What made the sight almost unbearable, though, was how Phoebe seemed to enjoy it all, one hand in her partner's hair, one tracing down his back, her head thrown back.

Piper's first reaction was a violent one; shock, then terror. Was Phoebe being possessed by a demonic spirit? Piper shuddered when she remembered what it was like when she was taken over by Terra, the feeling of life slipping away from her. But as Piper looked a bit more closely, she became convinced that Phoebe was not going through what she herself went through a year ago. There wasn't a certain stiffness to her moments, which was how Piper had fought the spirit. And that look of utter bliss...Piper looked over to Leo and saw in his expression her own thoughts. "No," he said, closing his eyes momentarily. "She isn't. I didn't feel any different when you were possessed, but now with Phoebe it seems like she's on a brink."

Piper nodded and shot a glance at Cole, ready to stop him if he started to run up and punch the crap out of the guy. But he didn't. Instead, he turned in the opposite direction and stumbled blindly away as the crowd cheered because Phoebe and her partner had won. Phoebe decided to reward her partner by grabbing him and kissing him hungrily.

Piper held her hands out in front of her, unsure of what she should do. Freeze the crowd? Blow up the disgusting display in front of her? She looked uncertainly at the direction Cole had taken off in, wondering if she should chase after him or if she should stay and watch after Phoebe.

Leo shook her out of her slight reverie. "Piper," he said urgently. "We have to find Paige."

"And leave Phoebe like this?" she waved her hands wildly and someone's drink blew up in his hand. The man looked down at his glass, bewildered, but Piper couldn't care less. "Not to mention Cole. You don't know how glad I am that he doesn't have the power to blow up things anymore."

Leo put his hands gently over hers, apparently remembering that though Cole could not do those things, his wife could. "At least we know where she is," he pointed out. Piper assented, now worried about her other sister's safety, and together she and Leo searched through the mob.

Cole staggered around the club, searching desperately for the exit and cursing his humanity. He couldn't shimmer out, couldn't just blast a hole in the wall and get away, couldn't turn back to Belthazor to escape the pain. To escape her.

How did this happen? he thought miserably, completely ignoring a brunette who tried to walk up to him. He was wrong, even Piper was wrong. She didn't love him at all. And that was just too much to bear. The look of happiness on her face, her hand gripping that bastard's hair..._no wonder she can't marry me, she has absolutely no intention to be with me at all_. He bitterly took a drink left on the countertop and crushed the glass in his fingers.

Suddenly, he heard Phoebe's name, spoken in a conversation. Cole fully intended to walk on past, to ignore it, but he paused nonetheless. Just as he was berating himself on how weak he was, unable to even resist her name, he heard something that made him stop cold and cautiously move in to listen.

"The Charmed Ones?" inquired a man in a bartender's uniform to his friend.

"Keep your voice down," hissed his friend, looking around, though failing to notice Cole's presence. "Two out of three, anyways," he continued when he was confident that they weren't being heard. He had jet black hair, a goatee, and quick, sharp eyes. "Phoebe and Paige. I was particularly interested in meeting Phoebe, the passive witch, the one who so deftly took Belthazor's heart. I don't think literally," he laughed. "Though that would be quite interesting. But Belthazor, of all demons? In love? I remember when he took my Brew for the first time. Didn't affect him in the least!"

Cole paled as he continued listening, realization dawning on him. "So how many drinks did you serve our two girls?" asked the goateed man to the bartender.

"For the dark haired one, just the one you asked me to serve. For Belthazor's witch, three in total," recited the bartender-demon solemnly.

His friend grinned wickedly. "I've never seen anyone respond to it the way Phoebe has—demon or mortal. And you know why?" He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Belthazor. Ironic, isn't it?" He leaned back and sipped on a drink. "It's her Charmed blood that keeps her alive even after three drinks, but its her problems with her boyfriend that brings her back for more."

The man finished his drink. "Well, I must go. Innocents are out there, in need of my corruption. Remember to light the drink when Phoebe asks, it makes it stronger. She'll be down in no time." He disappeared.

Cole stood there, his mouth slightly open in shock, realizing that the love of his life was in danger because of him...

**A/N**: Sorry for the slight wait, I had some tiny details to sort out in my story, especially since I'm such a perfectionist about that. Also, I hope the story doesn't come off as a ripoff of "Coyote Piper" (in fact I didn't even know about that episode until a few days ago when I saw a re-run of it—hence the details that needed to be sorted out), because I seriously did not mean to have it be like that, and that will become even more clear in the next chapter.

Also, I would really appreciate it if someone would give me some info on Prue and Andy's relationship. Also, Piper and Dan's. I'm in the midst of creating a new story and I need the info, since I haven't seen and Season 1 or 2 episodes. Thank you!!


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** Wow, it has been a long time since I've updated this story! Don't worry, to make it up, this chapter is extra long—and is, in fact, the second-to-last chapter. If you feel like there are still some unexplained holes to this story, don't worry, most likely I'll answer them in the final chapter. And also, if you're following up on my other story, Love's Intervention, the next chapter _should_ be up in a few days, I'm just having trouble sorting out all the anal details. Well, enough of that. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter Four**

Cole stood there for a second, then abruptly turned his heel and walked as quickly as he could around the club. He had to find Leo and Piper, and _fast._ He rushed past a stage, where they were setting up for something, past a few gambling tables, and barely noticed as other girls looked his way. He risked a glance back at where he saw Phoebe last, and to his relief and alarm, she wasn't there. Cole was torn in two for a split second; should he look for Phoebe or the others? Fate, however, seemed to make his choice for him, as Leo rushed up to him from the crowd.

"Cole!" he called. "We need your help. We found Paige, there's _definitely _something demonic going on."

"There is," he said grimly. "Jaquera."

"No," Leo arched an eyebrow, looking at Cole. "_Here?_" His glance wandered over to a grinding orgy over to his left. "Well, now that you mention it..."

"Lead the way," Cole responded. "Be quick, we don't have much time."

Leo grabbed his hand, pushed them both behind a couch, and then orbed. They ended up on what seemed to be the rooftop of the building next to the club—Cole could hear the commotion of people trying to get in, though faintly, telling him that they were a good number of stories up. He turned, and saw Piper and Paige on the very edge of the building, Piper evidently trying to pull Paige away. He ran up to them, Leo close behind.

Piper seemed to notice them out of the corner of her eye. "Cole, help," she choked as Paige tried to fight against her and go toward the edge of the building again. "I can't do this much longer."

"How did you find her?" he asked Leo, his voice urgent. "What was she trying to do?"

Leo looked puzzled by the question, but still answered. "She looked like she was trying to jump off the building or something."

Cole nodded and took over from where Piper was. He wrestled her away from the edge a good couple of yards, and then held her by the shoulders as he looked into her dazed eyes. She didn't respond to the sight of him, just tried to make her way toward the brink again. Cole spoke, clearly and loudly.

"You are the reason your parents died, and they hate you for it."

Paige's eyes went wide with shock. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she crumpled upon herself, like a house of cards.

"Leo! Heal her!" Cole yelled as Piper rushed to try to help.

"Where?" Leo shouted, confused.

"Her head!"

A warm, yellow glow emitted from Leo's palms as he placed them above Paige's head. It was a full twenty seconds before she sat up with a gasp.

"Where am I? Where's Phoebe?" She looked at her bare arms. "And where's my coat?"

Piper walked back into the fold, holding an armful of clothes. "Right here." She handed it to Paige, who gladly put it on. "I found Phoebe's coat and sweater too." At this, she glimpsed at Cole, fearing a fierce reaction from him at the sound of her name. A muscle twitched at his eyebrow, but he remained calm nonetheless. Piper turned her attention back to Paige. "And don't _ever_ do that again, I have enough to worry about without you going suicidal on me."

"I wasn't trying to commit suicide," Paige said honestly. "I was trying to fly." They all looked at her. "So what? I was. Maybe it wasn't a very good idea, but I just couldn't resist the urge...besides, I have wings, right?" She twisted around to look at her back. "Wait, I don't?" She looked at her family, looking still a bit confused.

Cole spoke. "You were drugged with Jaquera, the demonic brew. Did somebody with a goatee offer it to you two?"

She nodded. "Duane."

"Dwynral, more like it. Demon of perception and distortion."

A smile tugged at Piper's lips, who let out a snort of laughter before she could stop herself. "Dwynral? Sounds like a cough syrup."

Cole stared levelly at her. Piper ignored him. "Demon of perception and distortion?" Paige asked, bringing them back to the situation at hand. "How does that work?"

"He usually only works with distortion. Drugs. Heroin, ecstasy, all either by him or his students. With you guys, since you're the Charmed Ones, he used his perception to exploit your weaknesses and _then_ distorted you. With Phoebe, for example, it looks like he knows that me and her have some—problems."

"So what does he want? To kill us? Phoebe?" said Piper, beginning to look concerned again.

Cole turned to her. "The answer is maybe. Probably. He usually doesn't like killing—few _don't_, as you should know—he likes corruption. But in this case..."

"We're Charmed, we get special treatment?" offered Piper sarcastically.

"Partially," he responded, completely serious. "See, the thing is, a few centuries back he and the Source got into a—rift. Something about a liter of vodka and a rubber chicken, I'm not sure, it was before my time. Usually, obviously, the Source doesn't let those he gets into a fight with live, but since this was Dwynral, who was irreplaceable at the time, the Source had to settle by demoting him to the lowest level of demon there is. Better than being dead, but then Dwynral made a mistake—he took too many students. They're now just as competent as he is. So the Source can off him whenever he feels like it—"

"But if he offers one of us to him, then he's home free," Piper finished for him. Cole nodded. "Well, then, let's save her!" she exclaimed, ready for action. Piper peeked back at Cole. "What do we do?"

Cole seemed to make a quick decision. "First, we gotta find her. I'm still not sure what we can do, but if we see her we'll probably get a better idea."

Leo was already in radar mode. "Found her," he said.

They all orbed out back to the club and almost at once hit upon a huge crowd of men. Suddenly, a song started playing throughout the club—part soft latin, part sleazy jazz, all sultry. At the sound of it, Piper immediately stopped plowing through the crowd. She seemed, in fact, rooted to the spot, as her face twisted into an expression of fury, dismay, and embarrassment.

"Honey?" Leo stopped as well and turned to his wife. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, no," she said softly, burying her face in her hands. She spoke through her fingers. "Oh, God, no."

Paige stared at her, a look of recognition slowing spreading over her face. "Piper, you don't mean to say—Phoebe—she—_her?_" Paige whispered. "That was _her?_"

Piper nodded grimly. She turned to the confused men to explain. "In her senior year of high school, her friends decided to enter the annual talent show as a dance group. Yolanda and Phoebe choreographed it. Yolanda was a stripper." Piper raised an eyebrow at Cole. "Phoebe had a very long solo."

"I have to see this," said Cole, pushing forward through the mass of people. The rest of the group followed.

They didn't have long to go, and they weren't disappointed. Phoebe was still in the clothes they saw her in last; a white tank top and jeans. Everyone around them was cheering as she did provocative moves and bent ways that seemed impossible, using the stripper poles on stage as part of her performance. Piper looked at Leo and saw a mystified expression on his face. She whacked his head. "Not for innocent eyes," she said, only half-joking.

Then she looked at Cole. He looked—surprised. "You know," Piper said softly. "The Phoebe you know is actually a really tame one. You can't imagine what she was like before."

He nodded slowly. "I guess I know a bit now?" He cleared his throat and loosened his collar.

Paige tugged at Piper's arm. "I never knew," she breathed. "Do you know how much of a legend she—and her whole group—became? _Every year_ someone would copy them, or pay them homage, until the school threatened to stop the show because of it." She paused as a pair of jeans flew from the stage to the crowd. "You know, we're gonna have to retrieve that."

"No need," Piper responded. She gestured at Leo, who had caught the jeans and was staring down at it, as if not sure what to do with it. Piper snatched it cleanly out of his hands and added it to her pile of clothes in her arm. "So, you guys done staring? Because you know, you might want to stop her."

"Why?" they both asked at the same time. The two men turned to each other, surprised, then seemed to snap out of their trance.

"You know, she right," said Leo, looking sheepishly at his wife. "From what I know about Jaquera, she should be lucky she's alive by now. And from the read I'm getting from her..." his face fell. "She doesn't seem to have long."

"OK, then, what do we do now?" asked Cole, alarm starting to creep back into his voice.

"Well, this _was_ your idea, to go see her! And now, after five minutes of staring with your tongues sticking out at her, you still don't know what to do? You were the one who saved Paige!" Piper practically yelled, sounding a bit hysterical.

"But I don't know if it can work!" Cole screamed back, equally frantic. "Paige had one drink, she had three!"

"Oh, yeah, like that makes a difference to me, _you_ have all the demon knowledge, _you_ should know what to do!"

An idea formed in Paige's mind as she heard them arguing. She remembered what it was like when she had taken the Brew, what drove her to do what she did...in the back of her mind, even though she was growing to love her sisters and her newfound family, she had still wanted to keep her independence, and she could only say that the demonic drink somehow knew this, and used this fact about her to drive her to her death by jumping off a building because she thought she could "fly". Talk about psychology with a twist. Paige thought to Phoebe's situation.

_But I feel like, like if I don't consent soon, it's gonna be over_...

Paige scanned around the vicinity, looking for a target. She found the perfect one, near the bar. She sidled away from Cole and Piper and went over to her.

The girl Paige had picked out was tall, leggy, and a platinum blonde. Currently, this girl was flirting with a balding, skinny man who seemed nervous to just be talking to a girl like her. Perfect, thought Paige. She sidled away from Cole and Piper, who were still yelling at each other, and went over to her. Paige tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey," Paige said brightly. "My friend over there—" she pointed at Cole—"would like to have a word with you."

The girl gave her a scornful look, but she looked nonetheless, probably deciding anyone was better than the guy she was flirting with. Her face significantly perked up when she saw who Paige was pointing at. However, when she turned back to the Halliwell, her expression was still dubious. "Why isn't _he_ here?" she asked pointedly.

Paige thought quickly. "Uhh, because he's trying to shake off this other girl." Made sense; it was obvious he was arguing with another woman. "He wants you to come over." The blonde, after a few seconds of thought, complied. Apparently, a man that was sought after was good enough for her.

Paige hurried in front of her, excusing herself with a vague sentence or two. So far, so good. "Cole," she called as she came near. "When I give the signal, I want you to kiss that blonde over there."

"_Excuse_ me?" said Cole, his face drawn and looking completely flabbergasted.

"I know what I'm doing," she said hurriedly as the blonde came closer. "And _you_ don't get to watch," she said to Piper, who was smirking. "You have a job to do, with me."

They rushed over to the front of the stage as Paige explained her plan. They stopped in front of her, as the song began winding down. "_Phoebe!!"_ They yelled in unison.

She glanced placidly at them, her eyes looking shot and glassy at the same time.

"Cole doesn't love you," his sisters chanted, clearly and loudly. Paige pointed in his direction.

Phoebe looked at them, confused and a little disbelieving. Then she looked at where Paige was pointing.

A tall blonde...and Cole Turner...

Her body went rigid and she started to scream.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Phoebe half opened her eyes, and then quickly lost the energy to keep them open. Where was she?

Something in her memory stirred. A feeling of no inhibition , like endless energy streaming out of every inch of her body; through her fingers, even from the ends of every strand of hair on her head...laughter ringing in her ears, though whether it was hers she did not know...a kind of slow song that was oddly familiar...

She was in a bed. Her bed. The sheets were _so_ incredibly _comfortable_...she slightly shifted her weight and let out a sound that was between a groan of tiredness and a contented sigh.

Suddenly, she heard a voice. "She's awake," it whispered. Phoebe cracked open an eye, then both as the person sitting on the edge of her bed came into focus. The person smiled. "Hey, Phoebe. Feels good, doesn't it?"

Phoebe didn't need to ask what Paige was talking about. "Like you couldn't image," she moaned. "I don't think I've ever appreciated a bed more in my life." She tried getting up and immediately felt like she was just whacked over the head with a heavy piece of furniture.

Paige offered her a piece of white chocolate. Even as she reeled from the pain, Phoebe managed to cast a doubtful glance at her sister's way. "It helps," Paige insisted. "Piper had Leo orb up to the Elders to ask for a remedy. You should be so lucky; I had to wait like ten freaking minutes before Leo can back with an answer."

Phoebe acquiesced and took a bite. In seconds, she could feel the pain alleviate and die out. "If only other pain relievers could work as fast," she said as she took in another bite for good measure. She then leaned against her pillows, her eyes closed.

"So, sweetie, you feeling better now?" asked a different voice. Phoebe looked to see Piper and Leo standing in the doorway. Leo, for some strange reason, looked a little embarrassed when he smiled at her, but mostly retained his normal behavior. Phoebe shook her head. "I don't know, Piper, I'm really not sure what—" she stopped as she noticed a figure sitting in the armchair. He was looking at her, smiling softly, his hands folded across his knee.

Phoebe let out a groan, sank down in her bed, and buried her head in her covers, wanting to fade directly into the mattress. Her voice, muffled, sounded. "This is so embarrassing."

Paige and Piper looked at each other and grinned. They seem to have bonded over this particular experience, not in the least because these were the first demons they had vanquished as just the two of them. It was as easy as a vanquish went; as soon as Phoebe started screaming, Piper froze the rest of the club of its innocents as Cole broke away from the blonde and ran up to catch Phoebe as she seemed to topple over the stage. As Leo healed Phoebe, Piper stood there blowing up demons as they ran rather stupidly towards her. In fact, the four demons that were present seemed to have no kind of active powers, except for the bartender Jacob, who could throw energy balls. Just as Jacob was throwing one at Piper before she had time to react, Paige pushed her out of the way, then promptly orbed in place as the energy ball passed through empty air. Piper blew up Jacob, then turned and blew up the energy ball.

Phoebe's head had resurfaced above her comforter, though she was burning red in the face and was obviously avoiding the gaze of the man in the armchair. "Let me guess," she said, her eyes fixated on Paige's. "Demonic? Something to do with the drinks that Jacob and Duane gave us."

Paige nodded, surprised. "How did you know?"

Phoebe shrugged, now looking out the window. "I had a premonition when I went to get my third drink—but by then, of course, I was so doped up I couldn't even think straight. Now, everything makes sense." She laughed a bit. "So, were you just as affected as me?" she asked Paige.

The youngest Halliwell grinned. "You bet. I didn't exactly conduct a striptease—" Phoebe grimaced "—but I did try to fly. By jumping off a building." Phoebe's mouth opened slightly. "But it was OK, they all stopped me before I actually did anything." The two smiled at each other. It was a kind of bonding experience for them both as well, if only by means of a demonic high and hangover.

The room was amicably silent for a while, until Paige suddenly got up from the bed. "I sense and Phoebe and Cole moment," she announced. Piper and Leo grinned and filed out of the room after her, Piper giving Phoebe a wink just before the door closed.

Phoebe still did not look at her boyfriend. "Don't be so lonely, join me," she said without any real conviction. "Unless you don't want to," she added, the guilt evident in her voice.

Cole smiled and climbed in bed with her. "I'm sorry," he said, touching her cheek for a second.

She looked at him, surprised. "For what?"

"For being so overprotective."

"Oh, please," Phoebe said, chuckling unhappily. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I feel terrible."

"Don't," Cole answered softly, drawing Phoebe's body closer to his. "I know you had some things to sort out. About you, about us."

Phoebe shook her head. "No, it really was never directly about you. Just more about me and my own—self." Phoebe looked into Cole's eyes. Her misgivings about herself seemed to fly out the window when she looked at him. She let out a sudden giggle. "Stripteasing really helped." And it did, in a way. Even though the demonic drink had blown her desires way out of proportion, it was her original wish to express herself and to exert her own independence that let the drink alter her in that way. Now, she realized that to have her independence was all good and well, but to have the man that she loved—that was even better. Oh, sure, she will still be and always be the free spirit, but that didn't keep her from loving Cole, and vice versa.

Cole's deep voice shook her out of her thoughts. "That was absolutely amazing, by the way," he said, his eyes twinkling, telling her that all was forgiven. "I don't think Leo's ever going to be the same."

Phoebe made the connection between her Whitelighter's uneasiness and her dancing immediately. She cringed. "That's uncomfortable."

Cole just smiled and kissed her on the lips. She kissed back with a sudden lust.

"Hm, it doesn't seem likes it's _all_ gone away," said Cole, his eyebrows raised.

"But it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Actually, it's rather convenient. You did some really serious things, Phoebe. I'm going to have to take some disciplinary actions." He slowly took out a can of whipped cream. "Starting with..."

Phoebe laughed, eyes sparkling, ready to spend some quality time with the love of her life.

**The End**

**A/N: **Its been really fun, you guys! A big warm thanks to all my reviewers for all your great feedback on my first story here at Fanfiction. You'll be seeing me again soon, in one form of a story or another. Which brings me to another thing; what do you think about a teen Charmed story? It's been done before, yeah, but its my take. Yes, no? Either way, I want to thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed the story!


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